Exploding Head Syndrome
by NeutralStripes
Summary: Lincoln has trouble sleeping so his sisters help him in an unorthodox way.
1. Chapter 1

The night time was a peaceful time. The stars splayed randomly in the dark sky while the moon hung over Royal Woods. Not a sound was heard throughout the cold night. The only exception being the crickets playing their harmonious chirps.

The Sandman's spell draped over the inhabitants of the Loud House. The light snoring of the ten sisters roamed the second floor. All were tucked and cozy in their beds.

The case was not the same with Lincoln. The only boy in the family seemed to battle against unrest. He violently fidgeted in his sleep. Drops of sweat formed on his forehead as he began to twist and turn uncomfortably.

Small, painful whimpers escaped the boy. Both his hands clenched tightly, one taking hold of his pillow and the other on his bed sheets. His rugged breathing was very alarming, almost seeming impossible for Lincoln to breath.

Then, as if nothing ever happened, he stopped. Lincoln's gentle breathing masked itself with his sisters' snoring. His chest rose and fell slowly, slipping back into his deep sleep. And just like that, everything was silent again.

* **BOOM** *

An immense explosion woke Lincoln from of his slumber. He shouted in complete terror. He attempted to pry off the bed sheets but ended up flailing around to no avail.

The more he kicked and pulled on the sheets, the more it seemed to tighten around his body. The lashing stopped when he accidentally rolled off the bed.

Lincoln yelped when he landed on the cold floor with a harmful thud. He threw the sheets off of him with ease. He shook his head out of its blurry spin.

The sound of his heavy breathing filled the room. His rapid heart beats rang in his ears. The sudden adrenaline rush made the boy feel like he had never gotten a wink of sleep.

The sound of heavy thuds was heard in one of the girl's room. The muffled sound was followed by a creaking door being opened. The hasty thud came closer and closer until it stopped outside Lincoln's room.

The golden handle turned, and the door was hesitantly pushed open. Luna peeked her head through the door. She looked at Lincoln's bed but quickly noticed he was on the floor. The boy held his chest as his breathing was still heavy.

"You alright, bro?" She asked, worry in her voice.

Lincoln opened his mouth but no answer came out. Shortly after, his sisters, from oldest to youngest, were all packed outside his door. They were filled with curiosity.

The girls spoke amongst each other. The conversation was inaudible. All Lincoln heard was a sharp piercing screech.

Lincoln saw his sister suddenly barking at one another. During their bickering, they flailed their arms around in exaggeration. Each one getting up close and personal as their arguing escalated.

Lisa said something, never taking her eyes off Lincoln. They were all silenced. They looked at the young genius with a bizarre expression of curiosity. Their attention turned to the boy.

A strange discomfort ran up his spine. Lori's mouth was the only one that moved. It was an apparent comment directed at Lincoln. He quickly cleaned his ears.

"What?" He said rowdily.

"Are you alright?" Lori asked with a genuine calmness. "What happened?"

Lincoln was flabbergasted. The big boom, which sounded loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood, didn't seem to affect his sisters.

"Um… d-didn't you hear the explosion?" Lincoln slowly lifted himself from the floor. His legs felt like noodles and his back ached.

His sisters shared a glance. "What explosion?" One of them spoke up.

After numerous attempts to assure his sisters that the boom was real, Lincoln gave up. After being assured that Lincoln was unharmed, each sister went back to their respective rooms. The crowd slowly died until the boy was again solitary.

Lincoln sat on the edge of his bed. The sweat on his face had cooled down, now providing a chill that ran all over his body. Lincoln held his head in his hands, slowly running his fingers through his white hair. He hunched over and examined the rugged floor.

The boy stood that way for a couple minutes before his heavy eyes reminded him that it was still bedtime. He took notice of the clock on the wall. There was still plenty of hours left before the sun rose. Lincoln lifted his bed sheets off the floor and tucked into bed. He drifted back to sleep with no other disturbances that night.

The following morning wasn't so pleasant. When Lincoln made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, he was immediately bombarded with mixed comments regarding last night. Some, mostly Lynn, poked fun at the boy. They giggled amongst each other and spoke about how Lincoln shouted like a 'little girl'. Others, mostly Leni, comforted the boy. They stated that it was a nightmare that got Lincoln so frightened and nothing else.

Regardless of what they said, Lincoln believed in himself. Though he found it useless in convincing anyone else that the boom was real. How could he when his sisters were set on the idea that Lincoln was the only one that heard the, so called, 'explosion'.

Unfortunately for Lincoln, from then on, the explosions were heard during random nights. Just like his first encounter, he would be awoken from his slumber with an ear-shattering sound of thunder. This left him with a screech that lingered in his ears.

Every night when this happened, his sisters huddled outside his door and made sure he was alright. Lincoln gave the same response when asked about what happened. He always told them that it was an explosion and implored them to believe it too.

Though the sisters knew that there was no such thing, it didn't stop them from admitting that there was something wrong with Lincoln.

The next morning, after coming to their conclusion, the sisters meet in Lori's room.

They took places on the beds and floor. Lori made sure that all her sisters were present, making sure to exclude Lincoln. Lori then took her place behind the desk. She looked at each and every one of his sisters and sat on her rolling chair.

"Before we start," Lori began, touching her fingers together to make a triangle, pulling off the 'serious business' vibe, "does anyone know where Lincoln is?"

Lynn raised her hand. "He's sleeping in the living room."

Lori quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Sleeping at 4 in the afternoon?" She looked back at Lynn with uncertainty.

"I know right." Lynn let out a forced chuckle, "I mean, one minute he's watching TV, then the next he just completely passes out."

Lisa rubbed her chin and hummed in concentration. "Lincoln hasn't gotten a good night's rest for awhile now. It's only sensible that the effects of sleep deprivation are finally catching up to him."

"Right," Lori stated flatly. She leaned back in her chair and let out an exasperated sigh. "So, I guess we all know why we're here then?" Her sisters nodded.

"Good. Lucky for us, Lisa seems to be ahead of the problem." Lori and her sister turned their focus to the young genius that sat on the bed.

Lisa adjusted her glasses. "Au contraire," she stated. "I only deduced what the problem is, not how to solve it."

Lisa scrambled off the bed and out of the room. She came back, shortly after, with a chalkboard in tow.

She set the board in front of everyone. She made her way to Lori and stopped. She looked at her and cleared her throat.

Lori quickly got the message and got off the rolling chair. Lisa mumbled a half-heartedly 'thank you'.

She stood on the chair and pulled out a retractable pointer stick from her sleeves. With a quick slash, the pointer extended and slammed into the board.

The chalkboard was filled with an abundance of words. 'Insomnia', 'night terror', 'sleep apnea'. The list went on with all words being crossed out.

In the middle of the board was 'Exploding Head Syndrome', circled and in bold.

"It was difficult to come up with any final results that perfectly matched Lincoln's sleeping problem," Lisa began, "but after taking into account the factor of a certain 'exploding sound', it was rather easy."

The sisters looked at the board with puzzled looks. Luna raised her hand. "What is that?" She hinted at the word.

"That, dear sister" Lisa tapped the word with her pointer. "is the 'exploding phenomenon' that Lincoln has been experiencing."The sisters gasped.

"Unbeknownst to us all," Lisa continued, "Lincoln has been hearing an explosion that only he himself can hear. This 'sound' seems to be consistent only during the night. Though, I'm not sure if that's the case for all patients or only Lincoln."

Lisa looked at the bedroom door. "Seeing as we haven't heard him scream yet, I'll safely assume that it's just Lincoln."

Lisa turned her attention back to her sister. They looked like students filled with complete interest. Or was it shock? They leaned in close and looked at Lisa with their mouths hung open.

The young genius groaned quickly. "The amplitude of the 'sound' is high enough to mimic the sound of gunfire and explosion, which can leave one completely deaf." The Louds shivered. "Yes, it unimaginable the suffering our brother has been going through."

Lola raised her hand after a minute of silence. "Is there any way that we can stop it? You know, like treatments?"

Lisa adjusted her glasses again, this time it reflected the light. "No", was her blunt answer. "From what I've gathered, there have been a few reports of treating the syndrome with drugs, but the success rate is so minuscule, it can barely be deemed groundbreaking."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Lynn asked, hopelessly.

"The lack of mockery might do wonders." Lisa jabbed.

Lynn fell silent and so did the everyone else in the room. Lisa, feeling guilty of her rude comment, took off her glasses and began to clean them.

"There might be something we can do." Lisa inspected the lenses and put it back on. "Though, it goes beyond the norm of traditional medical treatment."

"Whatever it is, we'll do it," Leni said with outstanding determination.

Lisa looked at the chalkboard, then to the bedroom door, and finally set her gaze on her sister. The sadness can clearly be seen in the eyes of the young genius. "Provide reassurance."

The Loud sisters sat in silence, waiting for her to continue. "Make sure that what he's hearing is not real, that there's nothing to be afraid of."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" One of the sisters added.

Lisa looked at her sister with a fiery determination. "I'm glad you asked."

Lincoln was getting ready for bed. He reached for the light switch and was about to call it a night when there was a knocking on his door. The boy raised a brow, not expecting anyone that night.

When he opened the door, he saw Lori. She held a pillow and a blanket and was in her bedtime attire: a white tank top with checkered boxers. Lincoln said her name in curiosity.

"Hey twerp, I'm bunking with you tonight." Lori threw her pillow and blanket over Lincoln's head and landed on his bed. Lincoln looked at her stuff then back at her. He was about to protest her unexpected stay, but he looked past her and down the hall.

His attention was brought back to Lori. "You and Leni didn't have a fight, did you?" Lincoln asked.

"What?" Lori flinched. "No. Of course we didn't."

"Oh." Lincoln rubbed his arms awkwardly. "Then why _are_ you here?"

"I might be able to fill you in on that." Said a voice behind Lori.

Both Lincoln and Lori were stunned by Lisa's sudden presence. Lisa's hands were behind her back, clearly hiding something.

"You see, Lincoln," Lisa took a step closer. "Our sisters and I have noticed your sleeping troubles, so I took it upon myself to concoct a solution that would temporarily halt the 'explosions' going on in your brain." Lisa tapped the side of her head with one hand, the other still hiding something.

"Wait." Lincoln's eyes widened, worry began spreading all over his body. "In my head?"

"That's correct," Lisa assured. "The boom is nothing but a mere hallucination fabricated by your brain."

"Which explains why we weren't able to hear any of it," Lori pitched in. "But just 'cuz we can't hear it, doesn't mean it's less than real for you."

Lincoln was dumbfounded. He stood in silence, absorbing the facts handed to him. There was something mentally wrong with him. His unease swelled.

Before Lincoln could say anything, Lisa pulled a piece of paper from her back. "Luck for you, we managed to arrange a fully effective plan that will-"

"Plan?" Lincoln nearly shouted. "What plan?"

"The plan that'll help you sleep, of course," Lori said, sounding as if Lincoln should have known the answer.

Lincoln pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in frustration. "And why didn't anyone tell me about this 'plan'?"

Lori looked at Lisa. She didn't say anything but the genius knew she wanted her to pitch in. Lisa sighed and her face flushed. "It had slipped my mind," was her excuse. "I apologize."

There was a heavy silence and the atmosphere grew tense. Lincoln took a heavy breath of air and let out an anguished sigh. He quickly said, "Alright, what's the plan?"

Lisa composed herself. She cleared her throat. Her back went straight when she stomped a foot on the floor. The tip of her nightcap jiggled.

She stretched out her hand and revealed the piece of paper. Lincoln hesitantly took it with a shaky hand. Lisa crossed her arms when the paper left her hands.

What he saw put his anxiety to rest. It was a calendar for this month. A crude drawing of his head, colored in crayon, was on every day with equally crude drawings of his sisters.

"I know the illustrations are aesthetically pleasing, but try to stay focused," Lisa said. Lincoln only let out a forced chuckle. "Now, the way this works is that you will be assigned a sleeping buddy every night of every day. The sleeping buddy will be present for the sole purpose of moral support and comforting reassurance. During times of-"

"Wait!" Lincoln shouted. Lisa growled after being interrupted. "Moral support? Comforting reassurance?" Lincoln repeated in disbelief. "I thought you had a plan to help me go to sleep, not a plan to prevent my feelings from getting hurt. What's the big idea?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Lori in genuine curiosity.

"Well, I thought you were gonna perform some kind hypnosis or brain surgery," Lincoln furiously waved the paper in the air, "but you just hand me this paper and tell me that I'm going to be sharing my room with my sisters. W-where's the treatment?"

The two sisters looked at Lincoln in silence. Lori looked at Lincoln with saddened eyes, while Lisa looked… unfazed

"First of all," Lisa began, "hypnosis is a bunch of humbug; secondly, I'm a scientist, not a doctor; although, it's not like any doctor would know what to do. And finally, there is no treatment."

"W-what?" Lincoln's grip on the paper tightened. "What do you mean no treatment?"

Lisa put her hands behind her back again. "It's as it is, Lincoln. No treatment, no medicine, nothing." Lisa turned her head. "There are drugs that can be prescribed, but its high price and lack of effective results make it a hasty choice."

Lincoln looked at the contents of the paper, barely taking notice of the adorable drawings. He looked at Lori, then at the young genius. "Is this really all we got?" Lincoln asked, hopelessly.

"Yes." Was her only response.

"Alright," Lisa's attempt in helping him was flattering enough, and by far the only solution they had. "Let's try it."

Lincoln loved his sister, he truly did. He would bend over backward and do anything in the world just to make them happy. Though, it is beyond a doubt that he expects a little leisure time for himself once in awhile.

There was no place that he could truly relax and live than in his room. It was his small little corner of land, after all. A place where he can do and be what he wants. A place fully free from his sisters.

So his frustration was understandable when he barely hung on the edge of his bed. Lori, snoring loudly, had taken the liberty to spread her limbs wide enough so that she took up an abundance of space.

It was impossible for the boy to even doze off for a second before the fear of falling fully woke him up. Lincoln, finally having enough of the edge, huddled close to Lori.

It was embarrassing and a little uncomfortable at first but he managed. He was fully relaxed and ready for some rightfully earned sleep.

But before Lincoln closed his eyes shut, Lori lashed out a kick that landed at the boy's shin. Lincoln summoned all the efforts from the angels above to not let out a painful yelp.

He curled up enough to reach and massage his injured shine. He massaged it roughly. He looked at Lori, making sure his movement didn't suddenly wake her. But he was face to face with her breasts.

Not that he found anything about his sisters appealing, but he couldn't, for the life of him, look away.

After a few seconds, Lori unconsciously smacked Lincoln's face. He was rudely broken away from the staring contest and held his nose with both hands in pain.

Lori mumbled something in her sleep. Lincoln paid no attention to it, but it seemed she was having an argument with herself. It was incomprehensible.

Lori then grabbed the bed sheets, and in one big tug, she took away Lincoln's portion. She enrolled herself in the warm blanket, facing the wall and turning her back on Lincoln. Her face scrunched up in discomfort.

The boy was left with plenty of space, now that Lori huddled close to the corner. Though, the night frost was too chilly for the boy. He shivered uncontrollably.

Lincoln hugged himself and curled into a tight ball, using the warmth of his body. His attempt was in vain. The night cold proved to be a worthy adversary.

Lincoln gave up and thought of sleeping in the tub. Lincoln slowly got out of bed and put one foot down, but a choking grip wrapped around his neck. Lori, still in a sleeping daze, brought Lincoln into a spooning position.

Lori, being the big spoon, giggled slowly and maniacally. She combed Lincoln's white hair with one hand while the other still around his neck.

She stopped, dug her nose into his hair and took a long whiff. Lori giggled and said the name of her boyfriend in a brutish way. "Boh-bee".

The scene was completely awkward, but Lincoln was left with a choice: sleep in the cold bathtub or _this._

The former didn't seem too promising.

Lincoln made best with what he was given. He tried to sleep, but Lori tightened her grip whenever the boy began to doze off and loosen it when he was fully awake.

And this went on the entire night. It was when the sun began to rise that Lincoln, this time without fear of waking Lori, strenuously removed her hands away from his neck.

He jumped out of the bed and stretched. Lincoln feigned a yawn that almost sounded genuine. He left his room and down the hall. Once he reached the bathroom, he looked himself in the mirror.

His eyes were blood-shot, his head was a mess and the bags under his eyes were heavy. A forced chuckle escaped. He turned to the tub and ran the water. He took a nice warm shower, not scrubbing himself clean but letting the water run down his body.

The water almost put him to sleep but quickly shook the drowsiness away. Once he was done and out, he put on the same clothes. He didn't dare to back to his room due to an unknown fear.

Maybe he was scared that Lori would reach out and drag him back to bed. That wasn't the case. He would never be scared of his sister.

Maybe it was the idea of being trapped in his room with nothing to pass the time. Time was fleeting with only himself to speak to through the entire night. He excavated the deepest part of his mind. Thinking of everything that is and every will be. Discussing with himself the creation of the earth, the reason why bees can fly, why dogs are awesome, who controls the world, and if time truly exists.

Lincoln knew these were dangerous topics to tread over, especially for a young boy like himself.

But was else was he to do. Lincoln, though his eyes were glued to the ceiling, saw no interest in it. He could count every nook and cranny on the ceiling but that would've put him to rest quickly. Lori wouldn't allow it.

He refused another hour of alone time with himself. Know he knew now why he was _cursed_ with so many sisters, it was to protect himself from himself.

Lincoln went downstairs and into the kitchen. It was empty. He walked to the refrigerator, opened and closed it. He didn't even look at the food.

He walked over to the grown-up table, pulled out a chair and sat. There was complete silence, no presence but his own. Lincoln still sat with his back straight and his hands laced together in patience. It looked as if was trying to impress someone who wasn't there.

His gaze was fixed on something of little importance. Then his eyes turned to his balled hands. His slowly separated them and examined them carefully. He looked at the fingerprints and ran down to the palm of his hands. He clenched his hands into a fist, then he opened it back up, and clenched it again.

He opened it again, but this time, turned it to face the back of his hand. He looked at his trimmed fingernails, down to knuckles. He balled his hands into a fist and watched as his knuckles showed themselves more boldly.

He switched his focused from one hand to the other, trying to find a slight difference but his hands were mirror copies of each other. He thought of why that was but pushed it aside.

"What are you doing?"

Lincoln jumped in his seat. He quickly looked at the entrance of the dining room. Lucy stood there, emotionless and static. She appeared out of nowhere, almost as if she was always there.

"Lucy?" The boy asked silently. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I can ask you the same thing." Lucy walked closer and took a seat in front of Lincoln.

Lincoln looked at Lucy's eyes, or where her eyes should have been. Instead, he saw the black bangs that covered them. He always wondered what was behind her hair. Of course, it was her eyes, but he believed there were hidden emotions and thoughts shrouded in mystery. It was no doubt that Lucy was one whose cloud of enigma was best left undiscovered.

Lincoln, feeling uncomfortable, looked back down at his hands. "You know me," Lincoln said enthusiastically. "Couldn't really get much sleep." He joked and put on a forced smile and turned to Lucy for a reaction.

Lucy wasn't amused. Lincoln's smile fell. The two sat there is silence. The atmosphere was tense. Lincoln didn't know what to say.

"Lori didn't let you sleep, did she?" Lucy finally asked. Lincoln shook his head slowly. "Now you know why Leni and Lori got separate beds."

Lincoln chuckled. When it slowly died down, he asked, "So, why are you awake?"

Lucy looked at him, her gaze melting through his eyes. "Darkness never sleeps." Was her response.

Lincoln, without a word and with little eyes contact as possible, got up from his seat and dragged himself to the living room sofa. Lucy followed closely behind.

The days passed seamlessly. Lincoln was having a tough time dealing with his sleeping buddies. Every night would bring a new experience that raised mixed feeling.

Leni had now taken the place of Lori. Even though Leni wasn't as _active_ as Lori, it didn't mean she had her own problem.

Leni had a bad habit of talking to herself in her sleep. Lincoln would lay in his bed, looking at the oh-so-familiar ceiling, while Leni mumbled to herself. She would unconsciously talk about fashion tips, makeup, shoes and hair styles.

At times she would panic and begin to mumbled drastically about fashion tragedies. This would ultimately result in Lincoln being worried for his sisters. He knew it wasn't dangerous to talk about fashion, but doing it in your sleep and sounding so passionate or fearful made him think otherwise.

Despite the sleep talking, Leni, somehow, made it relaxing to be sleeping with a buddy. Though, it might be due to the fact that Leni was humming a heavenly lullaby. Her peaceful tune put all of Lincoln's worries away. He was fully captivated by her nighttime song. His eyes grew heavy and his guard went down.

Before dozing off, Lincoln took one good look at Leni. They faced each other, both rolled into a fetal position. She had her pink, flamboyant sleeping mask on. Her heavy breathing was fixed and her shoulders rose and fell gently.

Lincoln looked at her with cheerless eyes. Guilt filled his heart. He hates to admit it, but he knows that Leni isn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

It pains him to see his sisters make fun of Leni. She just stands there and accepts it. But Lincoln knew that Leni, despite lacking brains, had a heart of gold. Her soft-spoken tone and motherly touch can put anyone at ease.

Leni had never held a serious grudge with anyone. She was carefree, her smile and laughter were infectious. Leni was trusting, always motivative, accountable, kind, and respectful to all.

Lincoln was grateful to have Leni as a sister. "Good night," Lincoln whispered. He hesitantly closed his and drifted away, letting the night sweep him away into frightening territory.

The next morning, the two wound up in a tight embrace. A bright smile on both their faces. Lincoln had gotten a full night's rest.

The next night wasn't as pleasant.

Lincoln woke with a panic. The explosion was slowly fading away as he was forced back into reality. He cursed silently. Luna and Luan comforted Lincoln after his screaming fit. Eventually, he calmed down enough to compose himself.

The two sisters stood in silence as they looked at Lincoln breathing heavily. Lincoln noticed the obvious concern in their eyes. He wasn't too fond of the wake up his sisters in a panic as well. Lincoln was certain that his sister's hearts raced when Lincoln yelled but they would always be there to help.

After a small discussion, the three decided that going to sleep was useless. Instead, Luna, with a mad dash, brought some board games from her room while Luan threw in some jokes here and there. They went through the night playing and laughing on the floor.

At least, the two sisters did. Lincoln was unenthusiastic and sat in silence, only moving his piece when it was his turn.

Both Luna and Luan noticed this. "Hey, Linc, you alright bro?" Luna asked. The boy didn't say a thing. His eyes were fixed on the board, looking intensely at the pieces. His eyes were empty and shallow. The bags under his eyes were bolder than ever. His eyes were dry and stung with a light pain.

Luna and Luan looked at each other in worry. "Lincoln?" Luna called again. The boy quickly looked at Luna. Lincoln jumped in place, his eyes wide like dinner plates. It's as if he never knew they were there.

"Oh," Lincoln said. "Did you say something?" Lincoln's eye twitched.

"We asked if you wanna play anything else?" Luan quickly chipped in.

"Actually," Lincoln stood up, placed his hands on his sides and put on a strenuous smile. "How about a little music?"

"Music?" Luan asked quizzically. Lincoln nodded his head, the uncomfortable-looking smile still on his face.

"You got it, bro," Luna quickly ran out the room and just as quickly came back. She brought her old iPod in hand. "Any suggestions?" She turned the device on and began to skim through the list.

Lincoln rubbed his chin in thought, but he already knew what he wanted. "Hmm?" He snapped his fingers and his face brightened. "How about some old classical music?"

Luna stopped scavenging the iPod and slowly lowered it. She looked at Luan and she had the same curious expression. "Classical?" Asked Luan. "Are you sure about that?" Lincoln shook his head.

"Alright then," Luna quickly fiddled with the device. "Classical it is." One click and the soft music began to play. The three lay on the floor and rested on their backs. Luna placed the device between them so it was close enough for all three hear.

The three looked up at the ceiling and let the soft keys of the piano fill the room. The drowsy melody played from ear to ear, the tune slowly swirling around the room. The vibrant music was enchanting and very hypnotic. It made them feel light.

Lincoln, with his thumb, dug his nail into the skin of his finger fiercely. The pain was non-existent, but he knew there was blood. He switched to his other finger and drilled more furiously. He battled against the harmonic effects of the music, trying to drain every bit of sleep out of his body.

This went on for several minutes until he heard his cue. Seeming as if he was blessed by the heavens, the sound of snoring filled his room. Lincoln blinked several times, trying to fix his blurred vision.

He looked from the ceiling to his sisters. They both laid on the floor, embracing the sleep brought on to them. Lincoln let out a heavy sigh and viewed his bloody hand. The crimson liquid ran down his fingers like syrup. He was mesmerized by the flow: so unpredictable.

Once it reached his wrist, he cleaned it off with his tongue. He licked up the trace of blood until he reached the source. The sides of his fingers were scratched. He looked as the blood, again, began to fill up. He sucked on the wound, getting every ounce of the liquid.

Once he was done, he got up with a silent groan. His back ached. He felt like his spine was gonna snap under his weight. He wobbled from side to side. His vision began to blur. He shook his head violently and maneuvered through the limbs of his sisters.

He turned off the lights and made his way to the bed. Lincoln pulled off the oversized bed sheets with all his might. He let the warm cover fall over his sisters like a gentle cloud. With an angelic touch, he lifted his sister's heads and slipped a pillow under.

Identifying anything in the dark room was a difficult task. Lincoln, with his arms stretched out, made his way towards the door. He avoided making as much noise as possible. He didn't want his sisters waking up on him. He turned the knob, opened the door slowly, and swiftly exited his room.

Walking on his toes, Lincoln made his way to the stairs, down the steps, into the living room, and sat on the couch. He took a quick look at the clock on the wall. "Just a couple hours till morning," he told himself.

He looked at the wooden coffee table in front of him. Papers and books were stacked on top of each other, but he pushed it aside and found what he was looking for. He eyed it for a good minute, deciding whether it was a good idea or not. Then again, what else was he going to do, sit there for hours on end?

Lincoln, shaking his head, reached for the TV remote. Once the cold device was in hand, he pressed a button and the television came to life.

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon. The clouds ruled the sky and fog swept over the land. A freezing blur coated the streets, making it impossible to see.

Lynn woke from her slumber in frustration. A magnificent bliss ran through her body as she stretched and yawned. She scratched her messy hair and moved her tongue around her dry mouth.

Lynn threw the bed sheets off and lifted her heavy body. She looked over at the bed across from her and saw Lucy sleeping soundly. She stood up in agonizing pain. She groaned.

She pushed her feet into her fuzzy slippers and made her way towards the bathroom. In the hall, she noticed a light coming from the staircase. It crept along the walls and into the living room. She followed the light, completely ditching the bathroom.

Lynn silently and carefully went down the stairs. She stopped and looked into the living room. The television was playing static. She looked at the couch and saw a set of white hair sticking out.

"Lincoln?" She whispered to herself. She made her way towards the couch, careful not to alert the boy. With great stealth, Lynn made it to the side of the couch without a sound.

She took a good look at the boy. He was awake, his eyes glued to the screen. He slumped into the couch, his hands hanging on his side and a foot on the coffee table.

"Lincoln?" Lynn called. She looked at the gray screen then back to her brother. "What are you doing?"

From the corner of his eyes, Lincoln examined Lynn's presence, then moved back to the television. "There was nothing good to watch," he started. He opened his mouth, ready to speak again, but closed it. He stayed shut.

Lynn looked around. "Where are Luna and Luan?" She said, disappointed.

"In my room," Lincoln's eye twitched. "Sleeping."

Lynn placed her hands on her hips. Irritation covered her face. "And why aren't you in your room?"

"I didn't want to wake them up," Lincoln lightly pressed his thumb nail into the broken skin. It stung. The touch sent a shock through Lincoln's body. "So I moved down here."

An aggravated sigh escaped Lynn. "Darn those two." She shook her head. "Here we are trying to help and all they do is cause problems."

Lincoln was bothered by her statement. "You can't blame them. It was my idea to put them to sleep." He removed his leg from the coffee table and stretched.

Lynn was baffled. "Why would you do that?" She raised her voice.

Lincoln was disturbed by her tone. "You should've seen how tired they were." Guilt showered over Lincoln. They were clearly exhausted but they stayed with Lincoln. It was a pathetic sight, seeing the two start the night with their fun and games, but gradually slowing down as time went on.

"Come on, Lincoln," Lynn said in disbelief. "You really gotta stop playing the hero card once in awhile. I mean, have seen yourself lately?" She pointed at the boy's face. "You look like a walking dump."

Lincoln stayed quiet, painfully absorbing the insult. He narrowed his eyes, focusing intensely on the screen. After a couple seconds, he heard a grunt, then footsteps getting farther and farther. The boy sat there, alone, once again.

Minutes passed until he reached for the remote control and turned off the television, bidding farewell to his favorite pastime show.

Lincoln rested comfortably in his bed. Next to him was Lynn, who was stiff like a board. The moment the lights turned off and she got into bed, neither one of them made an effort at eye contact.

Lincoln knew that Lynn was awake, even though his eyes were shut closed. He didn't dare glance over at Lynn to check. It'd be unsettling if she looked back at him. But he had an instinct that made him sure she was awake. Well, it was mostly because her unbearable snoring hadn't filled his ears yet, but that was beside the point.

Lincoln had no idea _why_ she wasn't asleep yet. It was three hours past bedtime, so all his sisters were in Dreamland by now, besides her. Though, he had an idea as to why that was. Lynn wanted to stay awake.

It was a comforting act. No words were shared, but the deed yelled 'You're not alone'. It was a wonderful gift, one of true companionship and unity, but it was one he could not accept.

Lincoln knew it was impossible to stay awake without any distraction. The two would lay there in awkward silence until their bodies shut down. But that didn't worry Lincoln. It was being forced into the mechanisms of his own mind that brought him great freight.

Not wanting to deprive Lynn of any further rest, Lincoln did something bold. He shut his eyes and willingly slept.

 ***BOOM***

The night lit up with a horrendous start. A loud deafening explosion erupted. Lincoln spasmed, yelled, and flailed his arms at the sound. He heard Lynn shout right before he fell off his bed and landed on the floor. His sides hurt and a familiar screeching sound filled his ears.

He covered his ears shut, trying to drown out the painful screeching of the aftermath. His heart ached from the sudden surprise, but his ears got the most attention.

He balled himself up as the screeching intensified. Lincoln dug his heels into the floor and pushed his back against the bed frame. He pressed harder on his ears. It looked like he was trying to squish his head in between his arms.

Just as the sound reached its climax and began to slowly die down, his hands relaxed. His heart reverted back to its old, sluggish pace. A new feeling, unexpected feeling entered. His teeth grit and his hands clenched. His head began to boil in rage.

He looked up and noticed Lynn was looking down at him. Not paying any attention to her, he threw himself up. He faced away from her and stood in front of his wobbly desk. He lifted his foot and kicked the metal leg.

He placed his foot down, supporting most of his weight on the other. The pain sunk in like venom. It took awhile, but he muscled through the pain and lifted the same foot again. He kicked and bashed at the metal leg until it began to bend slightly, Lincoln cursing the whole while. A metallic ringing escaped from the desk with every powerful kick.

After his relentless attack on the poor and now disabled desk, Lincoln stood there, his shoulder rising and falling with his heavy breaths. His eyes looked at his desk with blinding hate.

"Lincoln?" A weak voice called from behind. Lincoln turned around. Lynn covered herself with the bed sheets and looked at him with… fear?

Lincoln's shoulder fell and his face turned to sorrow. He closed his eyes shut, avoiding any further eye contact with Lynn. He sighed and massaged the back of his neck with one hand.

"I'll-" Lincoln started, his voice sounding raspy. "I'll go sleep on the couch." He demanded. Once that was said, he left Lynn flabbergasted. She didn't move, she covered herself with the sheets, wide-eyed the entire time. Her heart and body froze.

Lincoln made his way downstairs. He passed by his sisters that gathered in a crowd. They called his name, but he ignored them and continued on his way to the stairs.

Once he made it to the living room, his legs quit on him. He collapsed on the couch. He heard his sister's marching footsteps reach his room. Their conversation with Lynn was an inaudible mumble behind Lincoln's mind.

The talking went on until Lincoln heard the creaking steps of the staircase. The sound came closer but suddenly came to a halt. There was complete silence. The air grew heavy and Lincoln felt discomfort.

He knew whoever was there had their eyes set on him. After a short while, the sound of the creaking made its way back upstairs then dispersed into separate rooms. One went into his room.

He spent the night looking at the ceiling, using the couch as a makeshift bed. He was embarrassed by the way he acted. A part of him felt relieved that he blew off some steam, but Lincoln knew that the expense of his sister's concern wasn't the way to go.

If only he could surrender to the calls of sleep.

Things got weird the next morning. Since the moment Lincoln began the day, feeling groggy and exhausted as ever, no one said anything about his dramatic _episode_ last night.

During breakfast, there was nothing but uncomfortable silence. All his sisters were present, but only the sound of the clattering plates filled the room. Even the kid's table was muted. All his sister's eyes were glued to their food, mouths chewing in the same mechanical pace.

Lincoln was the first to finish his breakfast. He pushed his chair back and stood up. All his sisters squirmed in their seats. Lincoln said a quick 'thank you' that no one acknowledged, but didn't press for a response. He took his plate and cups and dumped them into the sink.

Lincoln turned the faucet and watched with an empty expression as the water ran down. He stood there for the longest while, looking at the water as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. It was when the sink had filled up to the brink that Lincoln finally decided to cut the water.

Lincoln didn't empty the overflowed sink. Instead, he ignored it and turned his attention outside the kitchen window. The sky was gray and the clouds were clustered. Lincoln let out a bothered sigh.

Lincoln went back into the kitchen, walked passed his sisters and went up to his room without a word. He spent the whole day trapped in his little oasis, doing and feeling nothing. The sun began to set over the horizon. The sky turned a dark purple and stars appeared and twinkled one by one.

Just as the sun disappeared, Lincoln resorted to locking the door, blocking the window, and turning off the lights. His room was pitch-black, barely being able to see his own hands in front of him.

He had no sleep buddy that night. None of his sisters bothered to knock on his doors, but maybe it was a good thing they didn't. Lincoln needed a bit of alone time. After his tantrum, a little cooling off can do him good.

Several hours passed. The chirping of crickets and the sound of cars zooming by filled the night air. The house was silent and its residents were asleep. Lincoln was alone. The boy grew accustomed to sharing the bed with someone. Know, the extra space was cold and vacant, craving the warmth of another person so much.

"Lucy? Lisa? The twins?" Lincoln pleaded in a whispering desperation. "Anyone?" For the first time, Lincoln was afraid. He was abandoned, left with only his cursed thinking accompanying him.

With no other choice, Lincoln closed his heavy eyes and relished in the hours of peace he had left.


	2. Chapter 2: (PSYCH)

You guys asked for a part 2, and I was like "nah". Someone (XAN-000) actually got what I was trying to say.

So when if anyone ever wonders why I won't add another part, here's why:

By XAN-000,

"I get it.

Not every situation we experience in life has a conclusion, let alone one we like. Not everything gets resolved. That's life.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, no matter WHAT you try, you are unsuccessful. You're alone, and you just have to live with something until you don't even notice it or it solves itself. In the meantime, you make yourself feel what you miss.

No tricks, no plans. All they can do is be there for him in their own way.

Despite the tone, it was an enjoyable read. Excellent job. Works well as a one shot, no sequel required."

Thanks for understanding bb. Made me smile when I read this. First comment that didn't complain about the ending. If you guys _really_ want a part 2, then do it yourselves, 'cuz I love vague, tragic endings.


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